Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Darren Mack, 46, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and entered an Alford plea to a charge of attempted murder as the defense was to begin calling witnesses. Mack was on trial for the June 12, 2006, stabbing of his estranged wife, Charla, at Mack's town house in south Reno. Authorities said that after the killing, Mack drove to a downtown parking garage and shot Washoe Family Court Judge Chuck Weller through the third-floor window of the judge's chambers. The judge survived.

Mack admitted in court that he shot Weller, but invoked the Alford plea, in which a defendant acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt. "I do understand right now in my state of mind that shooting at the judiciary is not a proper form of political redress," Mack said.

Nowhere in the article could I find any reference to true remorse for the murder of his estranged wife and his statement about shooting the judge doesn't come across as true remorse for the harm he inflicted on the judge. It comes across as remorse only for himself which fits right in with his mindset before murder and attempted murder.

This is important because the plea deal recommends that Mack be eligible for parole in 20 years although the judge may choose to depart from that recommendation.

If Mack still believes that the punishment for asking for and being granted too much alimony is death, he will be a very dangerous man when he gets out of prison and not just to judges and significant others.

Anyone who he sees as wronging him could quickly and easily become a target.

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Abyss2hope is centered on date rape, but isn't limited to discussing crimes which can be described this way since the causes and attitudes related to date rape are interconnected with domestic violence and other types of sexual violence.

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